Spring hook forming machine



Oct. 15, 1957 L. J. SILKO 2,809,675

SPRING HOOK FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Afforneg Oct. 15, 1957 J. SlLKO SPRING HOOK FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15. 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 W W m m m d m U w L m Oct. 15, 1957 J. SILKO 2,809,675

SPRING HOOK FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 B 9. inuenjor Oct. 15, 1957 J. SILKO SPRING HOOK FORMING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 15, 1954 v0 104.. Y W 0% 8 Y n m5 u: V n w? Oct. 15, 1957 L. J. SILKO 2,809,675

SPRING HOOK FORMING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 \mnmforv Louis .1. S'Hko United dates SPRING noon FORMING MAcrnNn Louis J. Silko, Grand Rapids, Mich, assignor to l'viclnerney Spring and Wire Company, Grand Rapids, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application September 15, 1954, Serial No. 456,243

6 Ciaims. (Cl. 140-403) This invention relates to a machine for bending the projecting ends of a coiled spring into alignment with the axis of the spring and forming hooks on such projecting ends.

Springs of this nature are used in large quantities such .s in bed suspensions.

.atic spring coiling machine which delivers them with he end portions extending tangentially from the spring. For use the end portions must be bent so that they will extend outwardly away from each end of the spring parallel with its axis and hooks formed in each end portion.

Since these springs are used in large quantities, it is desirable to provide a machine which will rapidly and accurately bend the spring ends outwardly from the ends of the springs and form hooks therein. it is also desirable in some cases to trim one of the spring ends to an accurate length.

The machine of this invention automatically performs the above operations rapidly and accurately. It embodies various new and useful features of construction and arrangement hereafter more fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the machine,

Figs. 2, 3, 4, and are respectively vertical sections on the lines 22, 3-3, 4-4, and 5 5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the spring bending unit before the bending operation,

Fig. 7 is the same as Fig. 6 with the bending operation partly completed,

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7,

Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the line 99 of Fig. 7,

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the wire clipper,

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the same,

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on the line 12-12 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the spring with one end completely bent.

Like reference numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

The machine has a frame comprising uprights 1, cross members 2 and upper and lower plates 3 and 4, the upper plate 3 being supported above the plate 4 on posts 5.

That part of the machine which bends the end portions of the spring into parallelism with its axis has a rotating head 6 surrounding a stator 7 and extending through the upper plate 3. The stator 7 has a vertical post 8 which is connected to the lower plate 4 by a screw 9 and is kept from rotating by keys 10 which enter keyways in the lower end of the post and the plate 4 respectively.

The stator '7 is enlarged at its upper end which is surrounded by the head 6 which head has a downwardly extending sleeve 11 surrounding and rotatable on the post 8. At its lower end the sleeve 11 has a gear 12 keyed to it, said gear meshing with a rack 13 which is slidable in a guide 14, the actuation of said rack being hereafter explained.

The upper enlarged end of the stator 7 is recessed to The springs are made by an auto- TQQ receive a pair of jaws 15 which are pivoted together near their lower ends and attached to the stator 7 by the pivot pin 16. The jaws 15 are recessed near their upper ends to receive a spring 18 with its respective end portions 19 projecting from the jaws. The jaws are opened to receive the springs 18 and are closed to grip the springs during the bending and hook forming operations by mechanism hereafter described.

The jaws 15 are of the right width to nicely receive the springs 13 with the end portions 19 thereof projecting tangentially outside the jaws as in Fig. 6. At each end of the spring 18, near its center, a bending post 21 is mounted in the stator 7 and extends upwardly to near the axis of the spring.

The upper end of the head 6 is provided with oppositely located blocks 22 each of which has on its leading edge a pusher jaw 23 which engage the projecting end portions 19 of the spring as the head is rotated and bends them around the posts 21 so that they will extend parallel with the axis of the spring as shown in Fig. 7. Actually, these end portions 15 are bent farther than such parallel position because the resiliency of the spring causes them to move back when released so that they will then be in that parallel position.

The blocks 22 also carry cam rollers 24 which ride upon the outer cam shaped surfaces 25 of the jawsl5 when the head 6 is rotated, acting to close the jaws upon the spring 18. Additional jaw closing means to hasten the initial closing movement of the jaws resides in the cam pins 26 which slide in the blocks 22, at their inner ends engaging the cam surfaces 25 of the jaws 15 and their outer ends sliding on the earns 27 which are fixed to the upper plate 3.

As the springs 18 come from the spring coiling machine, one of their projecting end portions 18 is of the proper length but the other end portion usually requires trimming to the desired length. To accomplish this, a clipper is located adjacent the head 6 and comprises a base 28 having a shear edge 29 and a clipper jaw 30 pivoted to the base 23 also has a shearing edge. When the spring 18 is inserted into the jaws 15, one of its ends 19 extends beneath the clipper jaw 30, movement of which shears off the end of the spring to its proper length.

To form hooks 20 in the end portions 19 after they have been bent outwardly as in Figs. 7 and 8, these ends 19 are bent around cylindrical anvils 31 having bases 32 fixed to the upper plate 3. This bending is done by crank arms 33 extending from cranks 34 which are fixed to the shafts 35 of gears 36. The shafts 35 are journaled in guides 37 in which racks 38 slide, the said gears 36 meshing with the racks 38. The shafts 35 are aligned with the axes of the respective anvils 31. The crank arms 33 have grooved rollers 39 at their ends. Actuation of the racks 38 will be hereafter described.

The aforedescribed mechanism is actuated by rotation of a drive shaft 49 journaled in bearings 41 fixed to the rear upright members 1 of the frame. The shaft is rotated by a belt 42 passing around a pulley 43 fixed to the shaft 49 and the belt 42 is driven by conventional drive means ot shown) having a one rotation clutch (not shown). The shaft 49 has fixed to it the earns 44, 45, 45, and 47 which rotate with the shaft one rotation for each operation of the machine.

The right and left hook forming devices each having the racks 3%, gears 36, cranks 34, crank arm 33, and anvils 31 (Figs. 1, 2, 5, 8, and 12) are identical excepting that their operations are in opposite directions. The left hand rack bar 38 is slid by the cam 44. A cam roller 48 mounted on a pivoted lever 49 rides on the cam. A yoke 59 connects the lever 49 with the push rod 51 which is connected to the rack bar 38. A spring 52 actuates the y, a return movements of these parts. Theright handrack bar 38 is slid by the cam 47. A cam roller 53 rides on the cam 47. The cam roller 53 is mounted on a pivoted lever 54 which is connectedto. the-right hand rack bar 38 by the push rod 55, A spring 56 actuates the return movements of these parts, i

The rotating head 6 is actuated by the cam 45. A cam roller 57 rides on the cam 45. The cam roller 57 is mounted on a pivoted lever 58 between its ends and the lower end of the lever 58 is connected to a push rod 59 which also connects with the rack bar 13. Sliding movement of the rack bar 13 rotates the gear 12 which is fixed tothe sleeve 11 which isintegral with the head 6. Return movement of these parts is accomplished by a spring 60. The clipper 30 is actuated by the cam 46. V A cam roller 61 rides onthe cam 46 and is mounted on a pivoted lever 62. A push rod 63 connects the lever 62 with the pivoted jaw30. These parts are returned by a spring 64. Turnbuckles 65 form a part of each of the pushrods 51, 55, 59, and 63 by means of which their lengths may be adjusted. 1 Operation I With the parts in rest position as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, the jaws will be open. The jaws open by gravity when released. A spring 18, with its opposite end portions extending tangentially, is inserted between the jaws inside the bending posts 21 and the shaft'40 is started to rotate by engaging the clutch on the drive mechanism which drives the belt 42; Y

The shaft 40 rotates in clockwise direction in Figs. 2-5. At the beginning of the rotation, the cam 45 starts rotation of the head 6 which causes closing of the jaws 15 to clamp the spring 18. This closing movement of the jaws is very rapid and is performed by thepush rods 26 riding .upon their respective cams 27. At this point, a dwell 45 7 in the cam 45 ceases rotation of the head 6 while the clipper jaw 30 is moved by the cam 46 to clip the end of the end portion 19 of the spring.

Continued rotation of the cam 45 through approximately 180 from the start completes the movement of thehead 6 which rotates approximately 75 During this continued rotation ofthe head 6 the pusher jaws 23 will bend the end portions 19 of the spring around the bendingposts 21 to positions somewhat'beyond parallelism with the axis of the spring l8 as shown in Fig. 7. in this position, the end portions 1) lie under the bending anvils 31. During this continued rotation of the head 6, the rollers '24 ride ontothe peripheries of the jaws 15 and hold them in closed position after the push rods 26 have left their respective cams 27. r

During this first 180 rotation of the shaft 46 the cam rollers 48 and 53 ride on the inner concentric portions of the cams 44 and 47. Continued rotation causes the cam 57 to,ride on the outer concentric part of the cam 45 holding the head 6 with the parts in the positions of Fig. 7

7. In this continued rotation the cams 44 and 47 will slide the respective rack bars 38 rotating thegears 36 and the cranks 34, swinging the crank arms 33 and their rollers 39 in arcs around the bending anvils 31, forming the ends of the spring into hooks (Fig. 8). This operation occurs in about 90 of rotation of the shaft 40 and completes the operation on the spring. The remainder of the complete rotation of the shaft 40 returns the parts to rest position by action of the springs'52, 56, 60, and 64.

'This machine has been operated successfully. It accurately bends the spring ends into thede'sired shapeand operates just as rapidly as the springs can be inserted into and removed therefrom. V r

The invention is defined by the appended claims which are to be considered comprehensive of all forms coming within'their scope.

Iclaim: e 1. A machinelfor processing the projecting ends of coiled springs comprising, a pair of n'onrotatingclamping jaws adapted to receive acoiled spring with respective 4 straight end portion s projecting therefrom tangentially to the spring, a fixed bending post near each end of said jaws, a head rotatable around said jaws and bending posts, a pair of pusher jaws mounted on said head in positions to engage the respective end portions of the spring when the head is rotated, means actuated by rotation of the head for clamping said jaws upon said spring, means for rotating said head whereby said jaws are clamped and said pusher jaws bend said spring end portions around said bending posts into positions substantially parallel.

with the axis of the spring, 'and rneans located adjacent said head acting to form a hook in the end of each spring end portion.

2. The elements of claim 1 in combination in which said hook forming means are located in position to receive said spring end portions by bending movement caused by said pusher jaws.

, 3. The elements of claim 1' in which said clamping jaws are pivotally connected together and said head is provided with cam acting means to close said clamping jaws against said spring upon rotation of said head.

7 4. A machine for processing the projecting end portions of coiled springs comprising, a frame, a fixed post attached to the frame; a jaw structure mounted on said post and adapted to receive a coiled spring with the end 7 portions projecting tangentially therefrom, a bending post attachedto saidfixed post at each side of said jaw structure in the path'of said end portions of the springs, a sleeve rotatable about said fixed post, a head fixed to said sleeve and rotatable about said jaw structure, a pair of pusher jaws attached to said head, each engageable with a respective spring end portion, means on said frame for forming a hook in each of said spring end portions, means for first rotating said head sufficiently to cause said pusher jaws to bend said. spring end portions about said bending posts into substantial parallelism with the axis of the spring and means for thereafter actuating said hook forming means, said jaw structure comprising two movable members, two cam actuated members carried by said'head and each engageable with a movable jaw member and two cams mounted in said frame each moving one of said cam actuated members upon initial rotation of said head to move the jaw members into clamping engagement with the coiled spring,

5. A machine for processing the projecting end portions of coiled springs comprising, a frame, a fixed post attached to the frame, a jaw structure mounted on said post and adapted to receive a coiled spring with the end portions projecting tangentially therefrom, a bending post attached to said fixed post at each side of said jaw structure in the path of said end portions of the springs, a

sleeve rotatable about said fixed post, a head fixed to said sleeve and rotatable about said jaw structure, a pair of pusher jaws attached to said head, each engageable with a respective spring end portion, means on said frame for forming 'a hook in each of said spring end portions, means for first rotating saidhead sufliciently to cause said pusher jaws to bend said spring end portions about said bending 'posts into substantial parallelism with the axis of the spring and means for thereafter actuating said hook forming means, each of isaid means 'for forming a hook comprising a bending anvil fixed to the frame adja cent a spring end portion when bent outwardly, acrank arm engageable with the spring end portion and rotatable in an are about said anvil, and means operable after completion of movement of said head for rotating said crank arm in said arc, and means for returning all of said parts to initial position. V

' 6. A machine for processing the projecting end portions of 'coiled'springs comprising, a frame, a fixed post ata'che'd to the frame, a jaw structure'mounted on said post and adapted to receive'a coiled spring with the end portions projecting tangentially therefrom, a bending post attached to said fixed post at each side of said jaw'structure in the path of said end portions of. the springs, a

6 sleeve rotatable about said fixed post, a head fixed to tion of an end portion of the spring before completion said sleeve and rotatable about said jaw structure, a pair of the movement of said head. of pusher jaws attached to said head, each engageable with a respective spring end portion, means on said frame References Cited in the file Of this Patent for forming a hook in each of said spring end portions, 5 means for first rotating said head sufliciently to cause UNITED STATES PATENTS said pusher jaws to bend said spring end portions about 1,497,965 Van Orman June 17, 1924 said bending posts into substantial parallelism with the 1,627,600 Gail May 10, 1927 axis of the spring and means for thereafter actuating said 2,456,223 Stull Dec. 14, 1948 hook forming means, and means for clipping oflf a por- 10 

